Thoughts on the “Boardwalk Empire” finale: Great, but disappointing at end. I rave about towels at my gym. And Jay-Z bonds with old lady on the subway

I know very little of Jay-Z’s music, and don’t really have a big opinion of him one way or the other. He’s a huge star, seems to be a savvy businessman, great rapper, married the gorgeous Beyonce, yada yada yada. But you know, he’s not really my cup of tea, though I’m happy he’s a Nets fan, one of the few celebrities who was on board before the move to Brooklyn.

Anyway, like I said, he’s not my thing. But I thought this video was kind of adorable: Jay-Z, explaining to an old woman on the subway exactly who he is. She has no clue… (fast forward to the 19:30 mark for the 1-minute scene)

Just goes to show: No matter how famous you might be, there’s always people who have no idea who you are. Stay humble.

**So “Boardwalk Empire” has been on a run of really terrific episodes toward the end of Season 3, and I finally got to see Sunday’s season finale last night.
It was fantastic; one thing about this show is that they always tie things up at the end of each season, and man, did we get all kinds of resolution. (SPOILER ALERT)
Nucky once again manages to finagle his way back on top, and without any help from his old friend Arnold Rothstein. His alliance with Al Capone was great, (and the scenes with Capone and Chalky were fantastic), and the way the show dealt with Gyp’s death was terrific, too. I’d been wanting him dead for a long time, and I was kinda hoping he and Gillian (another character I hate, would kill each other in that scene at the end. Unfortunately, looks like Gillian’s gonna live).

Richard’s rampage was so satisfying too, and bittersweet when he left Tommy at Julia’s house. But you know, as great as the episode was, the end felt a little anti-climactic. The Margaret-Nucky scene felt a little too quiet after all that had come before it, and Nucky just staring out at the boardwalk, having regained his empire, seemed an odd way to conclude.

Still, it was a great season; Steve Buscemi and the rest of the cast are brilliant. Can’t wait until Season 4, when see if Nucky can do things differently in charge this time. He’s still a total gangster, even if he doesn’t seem to really want to be.

**Finally, I don’t expect you to care about this unless you have had a similar experience.
But I have a new favorite thing in the world. At the health club across the street, there’s a small cabinet near the treadmills filled with cold eucalyptus towels. And a few weeks ago I decided to try one after my run.

And it might be the greatest thing ever. You put it on your neck after a long run and it just feels so wonderful. The smell of the eucalyptus is great, too, but it’s like a cool breeze on your neck as you walk from the treadmill area out the door.

It makes torturing yourself on the treadmill all worth it. That’s all, just a man waxing poetic about one of life’s little pleasures I’ve discovered.